Beau — Restaurant in Waitematā

Went there for lunch for two.

When we booked, we chose to be sat at the upper floor with a view or at the courtyard but when we arrived we were about to be seated in the restaurant until we intervened. We were then led through to the courtyard through a cramped back-kitchen hallway.

We were seated at a table that got rained on and had to move our cutlery to another table ourselves. The waiter was present as the rain was starting, but didn't do anything to move us. Water running onto the floor in the courtyard also made it uncomfortable to sit, especially on a bench, with shoes getting wet.

We were told that the food was to share but the portions were far too small to share. The price for the small portions was also super unreasonable. We had two 'to share" mains along with a single drink and it came to $88!

Was hoping after all of the inconveniences and shooing flies the entire time, the food would make it all better. However the beef tartare was quite average and the market fish, while fried to perfection, was ruined by the sauce and the other ingredients on the dish.

The staff were friendly enough asking about the dishes but it was very difficult to communicate about the flavor of the food given so much was going wrong and the only thing we could say was that the fish was fried well.

Overall, very disappointed and sad to see such high reviews leading to a very...

10/10 experience! Great wine list and impressive menu with charcuterie, cheese and snacks.

I have been meaning to come here for a while having heard great things and they did not fail to deliver.

We were a 7pm walk-in 4pax on a Friday night so no expectations but they had room out back in the courtyard under the heat lamps which was perfect.

We ordered the parfait, comté and oysters (te matuku & te kouma) to start which was all fantastic. The parfait in particular had a great texture and balanced flavour - a must order item. Then followed the lamb ribs amd beef tartare, also very tasty (but could skip if not super hungry). Large plates we had the beef cheek and market fish, WOW! both well-executed, great flavours and decent portion size. Also definitely order the fries - they are beer battered and to die for!

Staff were kind, attentive and knowledgeable and helped us navigate how much to order as we were sharing.

Atmosphere was fun, energetic and most importantly not too loud!

All up came out to $100 per head with two drinks each - an absolute steal!

Will for sure be coming here again! - sorry forgot to take photos but presentation...

Updated Comment: Everything’s over-salted, the liver parfait is still good with the softer baguette when compared to previous visits (which makes it better), and that the service is still top notch.

Original Comment: We sampled the oysters, grilled cauliflower, chicken liver parfait, and finished with the chocolate dessert. Unfortunately, the oysters were a let-down. Despite their price, they contained shell fragments, and the flavour fell short. The dessert, while rich, leaned too bitter with a tangy edge from the crème fraîche. It would have paired perfectly with coffee, but since the deli was closed, no coffee was available — an unfortunate end to the meal.

On a brighter note, the grilled cauliflower was exceptional. The flavours were perfectly balanced, and the texture was spot-on. As for the chicken liver parfait, while its pink hue may not have been the most visually appealing, the taste was phenomenal, especially when paired with the toasted baguette. These dishes is an absolute must-try.

The service was outstanding, with the staff being attentive throughout. I’ll definitely be returning for a special...